Episode of the Week: ‘The Serpent’s Venom’

SG-1 must stop Apophis and Heru’ur from forming an alliance of their powerful forces, while Teal’c is captured and tortured by the Goa’uld.

“The Serpent’s Venom” Facts:

• This episode marks Obi Ndefo’s first appearance as the young Jaffa warrior Rak’nor, who joins the rebel Jaffa and appears in several later episodes.
• The episode is only the second to be written by regular SG-1 director Peter DeLuise — but one of only five of his teleplays that he did not direct himself.
• How to quote Stargate at your friends without them realizing it: “Trust me — it’s a math thing!“
• The rendezvous point mentioned at the episode’s end — “the third moon of Tichenor” — was named for Stargate‘s visual effects supervisor, James Tichenor.
• Here we learn for the first time that the Goa’uld religion (or at least the version of it practiced by torturer Terok) includes a notion of sin, and the need to be cleansed of it in order to enter the afterlife. It’s similar to the ancient Egyptian practice of weighing the soul of the deceased against a feather (“Forever In A Day”), though the terminology used by Terok (surprisingly) sounds more influenced by Christianity.
• “The Serpent’s Venom” not only advances the show’s storyline (as Apophis consolidates his powerbase), but also added texture to the Stargate universe. The Tobin system was once inhabited by an advanced race, which went extinct long ago. (Alas, we never learned any more about the Tobin on the show.)

“The Serpent’s Venom” on GateWorld:

• Episode Guide
• Episode Review
• Photo Gallery
• Screencap Gallery
• Discussion Thread
• Interview with Carmen Argenziano (2006)
• Video interview with Peter Williams (2008)
• SG-1 Season Four Podcast

Download “The Serpent’s Venom” now from Amazon or iTunes!

Rewatch “The Serpent’s Venom” this week! Then post your comments below, or head over to the “Serpent’s Venom” discussion thread and see what people were saying back in the day. What are your favorite moments?

Each week we’re highlighting a favorite episode from Stargate’s 17 seasons. Watch the episode with us this week and join in the fun!